A Tale of Terror
by RJB4
Summary: To appeal to a desensitized audience, the Gamemakers of Panem have decided to up the ante and create a Games that will satisfy their viewers insatiable hunger for violence. The stakes will be high for the twenty-four tributes who will fight to the death in an arena ripped straight from their worst nightmares. SYOT open.
1. A Higher Form of Games

**Johan Sionis POV- President of Panem.**

The National Anthem of Panem blared loudly through the streets of the capitol. I watched as the horse drawn hearse pulled a great black coffin bearing the gold sigil of Panem across the top. Peacekeepers lined the streets in full dress uniform while the masses corralled behind them to watch. It was a typical funeral for a high ranking government official, on a not so typical Tuesday morning. The procession stopped under the presidential balcony and all eyes in the capitol turned in my direction waiting for me to talk. I approached the microphone and began to speak.

"People of Panem. I thank you all for gathering with me on this tragic day to join me in remembering the life of Head Gamemaker, Marius Centuria. For years he graced us with his fantastic games filled to the brim with adrenaline pumping action, heart stopping drama, and noble sacrifice. He brought great honor to the legacy given to us by our forefathers and he will be sorely missed."

Every word of my speech was a lie of course. Especially the bit about the quality of his games, which had been noticeably lackluster in recent years. When I got the call last night that Marius had passed away taking an afternoon nap I was happier then I probably should've been. Nevertheless, now that he was finally dead I could finally give his position to someone better.

The rest of the funeral progressed pretty much in the same fashion as any head gamemaker's funeral. I will admit I had to stop myself from yawning several times. The only benefit to a funeral was the food and drink that was held at the reception which was only open to VIPs such as myself. After the funeral had finished, all the VIPs headed to reception hall. As soon as I got there I poured myself a glass of wine. I scanned the room until I saw Marc Antony Vitoria, a gamemaker I had been keeping my eye on as a potential replacement for Marius. He was tall thin young man with dark hair that came forward in sharp bangs. He always looked and acted like he was three steps ahead of everyone else. Many people joked that he learned to speak the language of sarcasm before even learning to speak English. I called out to him.

"Mr. Vitoria!" Marc Antony turned his head to face me. "Come have a drink with me", I said. Marc Antony sauntered over to where I was standing. I handed him a glass of wine.

"Drink", I said. Marc Antony took the glass from my hand.

"And now we are morning drinking. Look what we have been reduced to." He then proceeded to chug the entire glass of wine. He flashed a smile that dripped with sarcastic glee.

I laughed. "Ahh but this is a special occasion", I said.

Marc Antony nodded his head. "Well in that case I'll have another." This time he poured the glass himself. "I guess when my wife asks me why I'm coming home drunk today I can blame it on Marius and how sad his tragic death made me", Marc Antony mused.

I laughed dryly. "Hardly tragic", I said. Marc Antony looked at me with a look of wicked understanding.

"His games haven't been particularly good as of late", Marc Antony said. I swished my wine in my glass.

"Do you have any idea how the games could be improved?" I asked.

Marc Antony paused for a moment. I knew this was for effect not because he was thinking. Marc Antony always had a flare for drama. This was part of the reason I had been thinking of promoting him.

"I have a theory", he said. "The last really good games was seven years ago. Those games were celebrated for a long time. Surprisingly however the name that was on everyone's lips was not the name of the victor." At this I became more interested. I could see he was going somewhere with this history lesson and I was really curious to find out. Marc Antony continued.

"The tribute that drew the most excitement was named Samuel Parkins of district nine. I trust you remember him?"

As a matter of fact I did remember him. I quickly chimed in. "You mean Psycho Sam? The one that drank the blood of the six boy, the nine girl, and the four girl?"

Marc Antony smiled at the mention of the name. "Precisely!" His smile dropped. "Unfortunately, Head Gamemaker Marius had him killed in the arena. Marius had an old fashioned mentality. He didn't know what people of our generation wanted. So he killed the people's favorite tribute."

"Alright, so what is the point you are trying to make?" I asked with a frown.

A sly smile crept across Marc Antony's face. "The people of Panem have become desensitized to the games over time. Now they want something new. They don't just want violence, they want horror. It is a scientific fact that humans crave fear as much as they try to avoid it. That's why ghost stories and horror movies became popular. I propose that we introduce this notion into the games. I say for the next games we create an atmosphere that projects the darkness and the terror that was originally intended for the games. We should leave the bodies of the fallen tributes to rot and decay so the crazies can do with them what they want. We should let the psychotic tributes live so they may create more captivating fights with the other tributes and entertain the crowd. The games should be wrought with madness. They can't just be violent anymore. They need to be horrific, dramatic, and exciting."

At that I began to smile. "Alright you've made your point, now what about the arena."

Marc Antony smiled wickedly at the mention of the arena. It was clear he had been planning this moment for a long time. He was very prepared. Maybe even too prepared. A thought crept into my head. _Maybe He killed…No_. I quickly pushed the thought out of my head.

"The arena should be something strait out of a ghost story" Marc Antony said. "As luck would have it, I have blueprints for just such an arena that could suit our needs. If you would like, I could show it to you tonight."

"Well I'm sold", I said, "but you can show it to me tomorrow. You're going to need a good night sleep tonight because tomorrow your work as Head Gamemaker begins. Congratulations Mr. Vitoria, you've just been promoted."

"Ill drink to that" Marc Antony said. We finished our wine and parted ways smiling for the rest of the funeral reception.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Hello thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed the intro to my story. This is actually SYOT that I have been planning for a long time and I'm excited to begin.<p>

Here is my tribute form It'll be available here and on my profile. You may submit your tributes via PM or review.

**Name:**

**Gender: **

**Age: **

**District (Pick top three just in case): **

**Status in District (Social, Economical):**

**Description/Appearance:**

**Personality:**

**History: **

**Family/ Friends info: **

**Reaped or Voluteered?:**

**Reaction to reaping/ reason for volunteering:**

**Hobbies, Interests, and Skills:**

**Strategy for training: **

**Strategy in arena:**

**Strategy for attracting sponsors/interview angle: **

**Alliances: **

**Weapon preferences: **

**Fighting style:**

**Fears (At least 3):**

**Strengths (5 max):**

**Weaknesses: (at least 3) **

**Open to friendship?:**

**Open to romance?:**

**Any thing I may have missed or that you would like to add: **

**Favorite Horror movie (this has nothing really to with your tribute) : **

Please submit your tributes as fast as you can so I can get this started as soon as possible! I hope you all have a good night. See you at the next update!


	2. Tribute Roster

**Tribute Roster **

**District 1 **

Male: Orion Starks 18 (TheSubmitter)

Female: Kalissa Kerri, 18 (ashleyashley)

**District 2**

Male: Acanthus Stearns 18 (HogwartsDreamer113)

Female: Kayleen Epsy 18 (Annabeth-TheTributeThatLived)

**District 3**

Male: Avarice Tyson 15 (luvakatsuki3)

Female: Veda Calford 15 (HogwartsDreamer113)

**District 4**

Male: reserved (DuHSPaZZiNGFeL)

Female: Reserved (Pheonix764)

**District 5**

Male: Royce Jayce Bryan, 18 (azh10)

Female: Agatha Hawthorn 17 (amayamb)

**District 6**

Male: Soren Hecate 16 (DryBonesKing)

Female: Embry Chimer 15 (Emimawi)

**District 7**

Male: Miycha Nillem 17 (Celes Ludenberg)

Female: Joy Accola 15 (AlisonBlock)

**District 8**

Male: Demitri Royston 15 (CreativelyOriginal)

Female: reserved

**District 9**

Male: reserved (jpsmusic)

Female: reserved (The Knife Throwing Expert)

**District 10**

Male: Harry Athelstan 12 (Hermoine Evans)

Female: Ella Feltass 14 (Hermione Evans)

**District 11**

Male: reserved

Female: Jazz Sherington 17 (hollowman96)

**District 12**

Male: Darius Zaun 18 (TalesOfFanfiction)

Female: Michaela Lenina 17 (dabowen01)


	3. What Are The Odds

District: 6

POV: Embry Chimer

Gender: Female

Age: 15

A Charismatic voice, bright as sunshine rang out over the crowd gathered in the dusty dirt lot.

"And for my next trick I will make this dagger disappear!" The crowd eyed the skinny, sixteen year old, red headed boy standing on the crude wooden stage. The boy glanced down at a small empty table behind him with a confused expression on his face.

"Now where did I put that thing?" He asked himself aloud. The boy frantically searched everywhere before pulling off his worn out top hat. He stuck his hand inside and smiled widely.

"Ahhh of course, here it is", he said to himself. He then pulled a very large wickedly sharp dagger out of his top hat as all the audience laughed out loud. I chuckled along with them, I always did. This boy who called himself Soren the Great while he was preforming had to have been the best magician I had ever seen in my life.

This was actually my second time seeing one of his shows, but the first time going to one because I wanted to. The first time I went to his show was back when my school acting troupe was preforming one of our plays. On our opening night we had expected a large turnout to see our show but no one showed up. We ended up preforming half of the play in an empty auditorium. In the middle of my big scene the director shouted "Cut!" and told us all to go home. I cried the whole walk home. The next day I had heard that the reason that no one had attended our show was because a local magician named Soren Hecate was preforming a free magic show. Apparently everyone knew who he was and everyone who knew him never missed a show. At first I was really mad. I resolved to see this magician for myself to see what all the big fuss was about. I secretly judged him for days until finally I heard word of one of his shows and went that evening to see it. After the first hour all anger and jealousy I had for him washed away. I quickly learned that he was someone who was simply impossible to hate. He was charming, funny outgoing, entertaining, and astoundingly good at magic tricks. When I heard he was doing another show on reaping day to put everyone at ease I made sure I would go see him, and I was not disappointed.

"Now for the disappearing dagger trick I will need a few things", Soren said. "First I will need my Cape of Mystery." Soren twirled his old black cape off of his back dramatically and held it in front of him. "Next I will need my lovely assistant, Lilina." A pretty girl with shoulder length black hair stepped forward and took the dagger from Soren's gloved hand, and walked to the other side of the stage. "And finally the most important thing I'll need for the disappearing dagger trick is magic." Everyone cheered when they heard the word. "Now my lovely assistant Lilina will stand on that side of the stage and throw the dagger at me. I will then use the Cape of Mystery to catch the dagger and make it disappear." When he mentioned his assistant throwing the dagger at him everyone in the crowd broke out into nervous whispers. I will admit I was a bit nervous too, but I had seen one of his shows before and he always does tricks that look extremely dangerous, but he always seems to preform them without hurting himself. Nevertheless I tapped my feet nervously while watching the trick.

Soren spoke over the whispers. "Don't worry, I taught Lilina the basics on knife throwing an hour ago. She should throw like a professional, so I won't get hurt…I think." The nervous whispering intensified as the girl on stage held the dagger in position to throw.

"Ready when you are Soren." The girl said uneasily.

Soren smirked. "I'm always ready." My heart stopped as the girl tossed the knife across the stage at Soren's chest. With a flick of his cape the knife disappeared from view. Soren turned the cape so that the audience could see both sides. The dagger was simply gone. Everyone cheered very loudly, but no one cheered louder than me. I was normally a very energetic person, but seeing things like this usually sent me through the roof with energy. I jumped up and down cheering and clapping my hands rapidly. I watched intently as Soren continued with his show. He did several more tricks before his grand finale which involved launching a swarm of fireworks out of his hat. In watching two of Soren's shows I've learned that the boy loves pyrotechnics.

After the show was done and I had walked a little ways away, the excitement that filled me before was replaced with anxiety. Today of course was reaping day, and no amount of magic in the world would ever change that. I walked for a while by myself thinking back on the magic show. In the back of my mind I sort of imagined myself on the stage preforming with Soren and his assistant Lilina, with a huge audience fill the silent moments in between acts with their applause. I kind of wished I could have been friends with them. I have always been the "different one" among most of my peers. Most of them were the intellectual, analytical, and logical types. They were people who relied on their brains and not their hearts. I was more into creative things like writing stories and poems. My passion was acting, which was something most of my friends didn't really understand. I love my friends to death, but I do feel sad and out of place some times when I'm around them for a while. Many times I feel like I can't contribute to their conversations. I wanted at least one friend that I really related to, and who was creatively minded like me.

Just as I was thinking this I bumped into a group of my friends. My best friend Katrin greeted me with a smile. "So it seems you've changed your opinion on the Evil Magician", She said with a laugh.

"Just scoping out the competition", I replied sarcastically. Back when I was angry at the fact that a stage magician stole our entire audience, Katrin told me that I was being overly dramatic. After I saw Soren's first performance and ended up liking it, Katrin always made a point to tease me about my, as she called it, melodrama.

"Ready for reaping day?", Katrin asked me.

"Oh you know it", I said dryly. "Can't wait"

Katirn brushed her hair out of her face. "Honestly, I really don't think any of us will get reaped."

"Oh?" I asked.

"Well there are a lot of people in this district, and none of us have taken as much tesserae as some people." She paused before continuing. "I mean honestly what are the odds any of the eight of us will get reaped?" It almost seemed as if she was trying to convince herself that everything was going to be ok and that no one she knew would be sent away to fight to the death on live television. I felt bad so I agreed with her to help reassure her.

"Yeah, what are the odds?" I said to both her and myself. I needed reassuring too. Every year I saw what happened to kids sent into the games. It was horrible and I never wanted to experience it or see a friend experience it. "Anyway, what did you do today?" I asked Katrin.

Katrin rolled her eyes and glanced over at Joe and Samantha exchanging a kiss. She truned back to me and answered my question. "Mostly I watched Samantha and Joe make out over lunch."

"Oh" I said dramatically. "My condolences."

Sam made a face, "Thanks", she said. I will admit I never really liked watching Samantah and Joe kiss either, but for different reasons than Katrin. I did feel happy for them both but I kind of felt a little jealous. I had never been in a relationship before, but I've always wanted to find love. Watching happy couples was bitter sweet for me.

"And how did you like the magic show?" Katrin asked me.

At this I began to light up. "Oh it was incredible! He did this thing where his assistant threw a dagger at him and he only taught her to throw a knife like only an hour before, but she still threw it well! And then he flipped his cape around it and it was just gone! And", before I could finish Katrin interrupted me.

"Woah, slow down, I sort of lost you there."

I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry", I said. Katrin was usually the one to interrupt me when my energy levels got too high, which happened very often. I told her what happened in the show in a slower, more controlled fashion. By the time I finished telling her about the show, we had arrived at the district center, where the reaping always took place. I checked in with the peacekeepers and filled in with all of the other 15 year old girls. Katrin stood right next to me.

The entire time I thought about how cool it would've been to be friends with Soren. In my mind I sort of imagined a scenario where he and Linina invited me on stage to be an assistant as well. In my day dream the show went so well that they asked me if I would hang out with them again sometime and maybe help them out with other shows. Of course this was all just a day dream. The odds of befriending someone as famous as Soren were about as low as me getting reaped into the hunger games this year. I chuckled cynically to myself as I repeated the words in my head that I had said to Katrin earlier to console her. _Ha, what are the odds? _

* * *

><p>District: 6<p>

POV: Soren Hecate

Gender: Male

Age: 16

"We had an awesome show today didn't we?" My friend Lilina smiled as she spoke.

"Thanks", I replied looking up from packing my magic bag. I had just finished performing one of my magic acts for the district. I figured everyone would probably be stressed out for reaping day so I decided to put on a magic show, free of charge, so that people could cool off a little bit. Today was a huge success.

My other friend Levin crossed his arms. "Yeah, one thing that really stuck out to me was the fact that you had Lilina throw a knife at you. When was her first lesson again? Oh that's right! This morning!"

I laughed heartily. Levin had a tendency to nag me about things that I did that he deemed dangerous. It was only because he cared of course.

"Oh come on it could've been worse. He could've had you throw it!" Lilina shot back at Levin. "By the way how's your side?" She asked me.

I pulled up my suit jacket and dress shirt to reveal a fresh scar just underneath my lowest rib. "You tell me", I responded.

Lilina made a face, "Sorry about that".

"It's all good", I chuckled.

"Wouldn't have happened if you'd just listen to me", Levin said under his breath.

"Oh you know I listen to your advice Levin….Sometimes", I said.

Levin smirked. "Well at least you didn't burn yourself with the firework thing this time. That had me biting my nails the whole show."

Lilina and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. Levin looked confused for a second. "What?" He asked nervously.

I managed to hold my laughter in long enough to respond to him. I rolled up my sleeve and flashed him my arm to show a fresh burn mark. "I did burn myself doing the firework thing!" Lilina and I continued to laugh. Levin just sighed and gave up trying to feel at ease about my injuries.

"Alright well I need to go pick up my brother before the reaping", he said, I'll catch you idiots later."

"Alright see you at the reaping" I said

I stuffed my bag of magic tricks underneath my makeshift stage. "We can take the stage apart and move it back to my place after the reaping", I told Lilina, "It's going to take a while and we probably shouldn't be late for this."

Lilina shook her head, "No that would be really bad."

"Care to accompany me to the reaping?" I offered Lilina.

"Yeah, definitely", she said with a smile.

I first met Lilina after I had started performing for the people of my district. After one of my shows she waited around for everyone to leave and then ran up to me and introduced herself as my number one fan. She helped Levin and I clean up my stuff, and talked to me for a while. Levin was sort of shocked by this but he eventually warmed up to her, and of course I love meeting people so this was no problem for me. She began spending time with me and Levin more often and eventually I invited her to be my stage assistant for my magic shows. We eventually became really close. We tell each other everything and we both enjoy each other's company a lot. She has told me a lot of her problems, and listened attentively while I would tell her about mine. She would also console me when my depression acted up, which was something I definitely needed. Lately however I had begun to notice her differently. I felt my stomach do a somersault every time she smiled at me and could feel myself blushing whenever she spoke. I told Levin that I liked Lilina once and he just smiled and said, "well she is your number one fan you know".

"Happy reaping day", I said to Lilina sarcastically.

Lilina laughed, "Yes happy reaping day indeed". Something about her seemed off; I decided to ask about it.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

Lilina sighed. "You and Levin are the best friends I've ever had", she slipped her hand into mine, "I really don't want either of you to get reaped, that's all."

"Hey don't worry", I said, "You know that after my brother died in the games eight years ago, my mother stopped letting me take out Tesserae, and honestly what are the odds of two siblings both getting reaped into the Hunger Games."

"Yeah, what are the odds", she said unconvinced.

"Hey look", I said seriously, "I promise I won't get reaped, and neither will Levin and neither will you."

"You know that's a promise you can't really keep", she said.

"Just trust me."

"Alright", she said, "And you're right, "what are the odds of two Hecates getting reaped."

"Yeah honestly", I said cheerily, "what are the odds."

"Anyway changing the subject after the reaping you, me, and Levin should have dinner together." Lilina said.

"Actually I think Levin is doing something with his brother this evening. It's his brother's first reaping and he said he wants to make sure he has fun afterwards", I said.

"Oh", Lilina paused, "Well I guess then we could have dinner together, just you and I", she said.

"Yeah, that sounds great", I said.

Lilina paused for a moment and bit the bottom of her lip, "By the way I have something to tell you." Lilina seemed nervous as she said this.

"What?" I asked.

"Well…" before she could speak a peacekeeper interrupted her.

"Alright young lady check in over here. You, young man check in over there." We were so enraptured in conversation we hadn't realized that we had reached the District center already.

"I'll tell you after the reaping", she told me as she separated.

"The mystery is going to bug me the entire ceremony", I shouted back to her. She laughed and then turned and walked in the direction of the other 15 year old girls.

* * *

><p>District: 12<p>

POV: Darius Zaun

Gender: Male

Age: 18

I saw a worm. It was writhing and wriggling in the dusty gravel path, separated from its home under the dirt. It was doing a dance of panic on the hard dusty ground as it waited for itself to die.

It was that moment that I realized that I had been a worm once, in a past life. I knew this because in that moment the worm was the only thing I have ever related to since I could remember. I felt a strange brotherhood with the worm.

I lifted my foot up and squished it. Its body popped underneath my sole like an overripe pimple pressed between two fingers. I lifted my foot to examine the carcass which had mostly remained on the bottom of my shoe. I could have scraped it off but I decided to wear it like a badge of honor, and continued on my way.

This wasn't the first worm I had killed. I killed another worm once in the mines where I work. The worm's name was Sion Noxus. Money has always been scarce for my family and I needed a job. I was fifteen years old then, and they only let people eighteen years or older work in the mines, which is the only steady work that would be given to someone like me. Not that I wanted to work. I mainly wanted to not starve to death. I soon found the answer to my problem however. A man who was eighteen years old, named Sion Noxus worked in the mines, and he looked a lot like me. The resemblance was so great that we could have simply switched lives and no one would have known. It was then that I knew what I had to do. I followed Sion into the mines. I waited until he had ventured far off on his own into a dark corner of the mine. I took the man by surprise and smacked his head against the stone wall. Before he could recover I grabbed his pick ax in my hand and hit him once in the stomach, as he screamed. I watched as he writhed and wriggled like a worm in a dusty gravel path, waiting to die. I then hit him again, and again, and again, until he stopped writhing and screaming. I had never heard someone scream so loud. I stared at the squished worm, lying on the floor of the mine. I then noticed something on a fragment of what used to be his head. There was a long scar running down his cheek. The scar was at least two days old. I knew that if I had come out pretending to be him and I didn't have the scar, then my cover would be instantly blown. To cover it up I grabbed the bloody pickax and pulled it down my face, tearing the flesh, and creating the same scar. After all of that was done, I cut the worm's body up into giblets and threw them down the mine shaft. I left the mines at the end of the day and collected Sion's paycheck…my paycheck. I have worked in the mines ever since.

My thoughts shifted from my work. I began to think about the books I've been reading lately. I have read a lot of philosophy books recently. Most of it is bullshit. It's the screams of long dead people who try and arrange a meaning to life with puzzle pieces that don't quite fit together. The only philosophy I could ever agree with is something I read about a year and a half ago. The book called it nihilism. According to nihilism everyone and everything is exactly like a worm on a dusty gravel path waiting to die. Every life amounts the same as that of the worm carcass decorating the bottom of my shoe. That was truth to me. The only worm I've refused to squish is me. Self-preservation has always been my only purpose. This is why I have been so scared lately.

After I had killed Sion, years ago, every time I entered the mines to work, I could hear his screams echoing in the darkness. At first I thought they were my imagination, but eventually I realized I was dead wrong. Sion's ghost was still at the bottom of that mineshaft screaming for help, and if anyone were to hear it, my cover would be blown. Panic boiled in my body like molten metal every time I entered the mines to work. I always worried that one day someone would hear the screams and turn me in, and I would be executed. Eventually the screams became so loud that I could hear them everywhere, whether I was in the mines or not. I wanted to run away, and escape district twelve before I was caught but I eventually realized that that's exactly what they wanted me to do. They wanted me to do something stupid so that they would have irrefutable proof that I killed Sion. They could probably hear the screams all along but they pretended that they didn't until the day that I eventually would blow my cover. But I was not going to let them take me. In recent months it has become much more difficult to avoid capture. I know that they have spies everywhere and I'm almost certain that they put computer chips in my food so that they could track my movements. They might even have my father in on it or worse, they could have my mother in on it. My mother was probably behind the whole thing.

I never met my mother, but she met me when she gave birth to me, and immediately decided that she didn't want me. She gave me to my father who didn't want me either but had little say in the matter because he was a poor miner and she was the mayor's daughter. She probably joined the conspiracy against me because I was the one big mistake she made…Bitch!

I continued walking down the dusty gravel path to my destination. With each step I took the worm carcass was desecrated more and more. As I was walking I saw a group of people in front of me. They were undoubtedly heading to the reaping just as I was. Everyone in the group seemed to be listening to one girl speak. I knew I had to pass them. For all I knew they could've been spies hired by the peacekeepers. I hurried my pace to try and pass them. As I pushed pass the crowd, I bumped into the girl who was talking.

"oof, Pardon me", the girl said politely.

I knew she was bullshitting. She had to have been a spy. I had to keep her from trying to talk to me so I responded as rudely as possible.

"Fuck off!" I shouted. Her eyes instantly widened at my response. I turned around and continued on my way.

I didn't care at all if the girl thought I was rude, and why should I have. _What are the odds I'll ever see her again anyway,_ I thought.

I scratched my messy black hair as I continued down the path. As I walked I saw more groups of scared kids all heading to the district center for the reaping ceremony. They did this every year before the hunger games. I will admit the hunger Games was one of the few things I actually looked forward to every year. I liked watching all of the worms get squished, stabbed, and hacked to bits on TV. There was one time when one of the tributes named Sam drank the blood of those he killed. It was very entertaining. This year there was an even bigger reason why I was excited.

I arrived at the district center and went to go check in.

"Check in over here young man", One of the peacekeepers commanded. I didn't say word in response. I simply obeyed. My heart began pumping really fast, and I began to sweat. I could tell that the peacekeeper was eying me funny. They always did. It was because they knew what I had done.

I hurried over to where I had to stand and wait with all of the other eighteen year old boys. I took in a deep breath. I had been waiting for this moment all year and now it's finally here. My heart pounded with anticipation as I waited for the ceremony to start.

* * *

><p>District: 12<p>

POV: Micheala Lenina

Gender: Female

Age: 18

I looked out of the grimy window in the tiny living room kitchen combination room of my house. I was instantly greeted by the usual sights of the impoverished neighborhood that I grew up in. Most people called it The Seam. I on the other hand call it Injustice. To me, my neighborhood is the purest evidence of the absolute thievery that the Capitol of Panem engages in each and every day. While the bourgeoisie in the capitol get fat off of their massive amounts of money, the poor workers of the districts starve.

There was a time when I tried to believe that there was justice in this world. I used to believe in the principle of a day's work for a day's wage. After years of seeing my father come home from working in the mines all day, every day without enough money to give me and my mother the life he wanted to give us, it was difficult to keep on believing. I didn't need to be told there was a problem. I could see it right before my eyes every time I looked out my grimy window. I could see it in the dirt that coated the eternally hungry faces of the small children of the Seam. I could see it in the pain in a miner's eyes. There was most definitely a problem.

For a while this was where I remained. I was stuck knowing that there was a problem but I had no idea what was the root and how it could be rectified. That's when I found the book. In an old closet full of things passed through our family for generations upon generations I found a book that was written way before the time of Panem. The book was called, Communist Manifesto. I read the book and immediately loved the message, but was too young to fully understand and appreciate all of the language. I decided then that I needed to be as well read as possible so that I could have enough command of my language to be able to fully appreciate the beauty of its words. I read as many books as possible and nurtured my eloquence to the point where I felt powerful every time I opened my mouth to speak. I got really into oration at this point, and after re reading Communist Manifesto, I began to speak to people about it. I became a voice for the long dead author, Karl Marx, in this new era. I wanted to ensure that his message would never be forgotten.

After explaining the book to my parents they quickly decided that they agreed with the message too and why shouldn't they. My father worked hard every day just to see his family starve. His father and mother both died very young. His father had died in the mines in an accident for which his family was not compensated. His mother died of an easily treatable illness soon after due to the fact that without someone to bring in a steady paycheck, she could not afford antibiotics. They didn't need to have been well read enough to know that there was a problem. Like me, before I had read the book, they needed to be guided towards a solution. For that matter my entire district, no, the whole country needed to be guided to the solution.

I soon learned, however, that peacekeepers didn't like it when I spoke openly about the contents of the book. They were trained by the government to snuff out the voice of the people if it ever became too loud. Because of this I usually made sure that whenever I would educate the people about communism, I would do so in secret. Most of the people of my district loved to hear what I had to say and agreed in the teachings of the book. Eventually I decided that I could not simply speak the message, I had to live it as well. I made sharing what little I had with those in need, a paramount focus. Communism was about people helping people, sharing what they had, and I resolved to do just that.

I walked out of the front door of my house onto the gravel streets of the Seam and began walking in the direction of the district center where the reapings for this year's Hunger Games would take place. I found the Hunger Games deplorable. It was simply another tool that the capitol used to oppress the good working people of Panem. Of course, despite my feelings, I had to go anyway. I could get my family arrested if I didn't.

As I began walking a group of other kids, on their way to the reaping, began walking alongside me.

"Micheala I'm scared", a twelve year old girl told me.

I clasped her hand in mine and smiled at her. "Don't be afraid. Just close your eyes and count as high as you can and eventually it will be over and you won't be standing on the stage. This is your first year and your odds of getting reaped are very low"

"Are your odds low too, Micheala?" the child asked me with concern. I paused for a moment before responding.

"Yes dear, my odds are low", I lied to the child. Given that my family was poor, I signed up for a considerable amount of Tesserae. Not nearly as much as some however. I was an only child. Things were more difficult for large families. Those were the kids that signed up for the most Tessarae, and those were the ones unfortunate enough to get reaped, as unfair as that was.

The child seemed slightly consoled. She gave a small smile. I began talking to them about my feelings towards the Hunger Games but eventually my conversation switched to simply being about communism in general. I began telling them the teachings of Marx and their eyes lit up with enlightenment at what Marx had to say.

"Why should the mayor and the peacekeepers be paid more than the miners?" I asked the group rhetorically. "They work just as hard, and they contribute just as much! Everyone, no matter what job they have been assigned should be paid the exact same. Only then will there be enough so that everyone can enjoy a happy prosperous life!"

Before I could continue, a very tall pale boy with very messy hair pushed past me. He slammed his shoulder into mine by accident. I felt bad for the boy he must have been nervous for the reaping, for him to be in such a hurry.

"Pardon me", I said, apologizing to the boy.

The boy however turned and gave me a hateful look with eyes that looked like they should have belonged to a corpse. It was then I noticed the smell that seeped from the boy's clothes. It was clear that he had not made an attempt at maintaining hygiene in a while.

"Fuck off!" He shouted at me spitefully. I couldn't help but feel my eyes widen in shock at the response that the boy had given my simple courtesy. I didn't admit it but this boy truly scared me, and I'm not one who is easily scared by the negative effects that life in district twelve has on people. This boy was different though. It was very clear that something was off about him.

The boy then turned and walked faster in the same direction that he was walking. I watched him for a moment and then turned back to face the group of kids that were walking with me. They all looked either dumbstruck or uncomfortable. I was seething with anger at this point. I will admit, rage was a vice of mine but I knew I had to play the situation off for the children.

"A pity he couldn't tag along", I said. "I was just about to talk about the dangers of government corruption in a capitalist economy."

I continued to talk to the children of my district until we got within earshot of the peacekeepers in the district center. I checked in at one of the tables. As I did this I happened to glance over to my right at the section of eighteen year old boys. I spotted the boy I bumped into on my way to the reaping. He stared blankly forward. I could tell what most of the eighteen year old boys were thinking just by looking at their eyes. Most were probably thinking _I hope I don't get reaped._ I could not tell what the boy with the dead eyes was thinking, so I simply watched his eyes stand still as a pond, as if he were looking into oblivion.

* * *

><p>District: 12<p>

POV: Micheala Lenina

Gender Female

Age: 18

I stood in the dusty district center with the other youth of district 12. So many people were gathered just to hear bad news. We all knew what it was already. Two of us were going to be sent into the Hunger Games to fight to the death as a form of cheap entertainment for the corrupt bourgeoisie that infested the Capitol. The one piece of information that no one had was who those two people were going to be. That bit of information was written on one of the multitude of slips of paper that filled the two enormous glass bowls on the stage. I sighed and clenched my sweaty palms.

After a while our district escort, Varidum Steffold, stepped up on to the stage. He was a man with shoulder length black hair, with blond roots, that was artificially straitened. He wore all black. His clothes looked quite expensive. I wonder if he really understood that the money he used to pay for that jacket belonged to the people and not to him alone. He was a typical Capitolite.

He began the ceremony by making a speech about the history of the Hunger Games and why they were important. His Oratory skills were actually quite poor. He looked like he barely knew his subject, other than what he has been told to say, and he had a sever lack of passion. I bet if I could get him into a one on one debate about our differing viewpoints, I would easily blow holes through his flimsy beliefs.

After the speech the district escort began the actual reaping of the tributes.

"Enough history, let us begin", he said with a dry smile. He reached into the glass bowl and pulled out a piece of paper. He drew it sharply up to his face.

"Micheala Lenina", he said in a bored and nonchalant fashion.

I froze in shock. Everyone in the district turned their eyes towards me. I guess I was known by more people than I thought. I was terrified and angry. I couldn't believe that I would actually have to be a part of something that I was so strongly against. I didn't want to kill the good children of the districts, to entertain rich Capitolites like our district escort.

I started walking to the stage, too shocked to produce any visible reaction. When I got to the stage I stood numbly for a moment. I looked on at the poor faces of all the children in my district. Their faces bore the same look that they bore every day of their lives. They looked scared and hungry. It was sad to think that I was looking upon oppression. This brought about a change within me. My heart swelled with pride. These were the people I would dedicate my participation in the games to. I would fight for my district in the name of Karl Marx. I would make sure to come out a victor, and when I did I would do all that was within my power to provide for the people of district twelve. I would try and make a change in my country. If I won these games, I would use my influence to make sure that the teachings of Karl Marx reached the hearts and minds of everyone in Panem so that the people of my country would finally be able to provide a life for their families.

* * *

><p>District: 12<p>

POV: Darius Zaun

Gender: Male

Age: 18

There were people everywhere. They were surrounding me while I stood in the district center for the reaping ceremony. They were all aligned by their age and gender, as if it mattered. A worm is worm and the only way to distinguish between two of them is if one of them is alive and one of them is dead. I felt suffocated by the masses of people. I could feel my head spinning. I was getting very, very upset. I was getting so upset I thought I might hurt someone. I held it in though. There were peacekeepers everywhere. I could have sworn that they were all watching me; they were just pretending that they weren't.

My heart was pounding and I was sweating profusely. This was my moment. This was the moment when I would finally do what it took to escape all of the peacekeepers and spies, who were waiting to catch me for my crime. I don't understand why they cared so much about the life of one miner but I knew they did. I tried to calm myself but my head kept spinning and sweat kept pouring down my armpits, like blood from a freshly sliced wrist.

Finally the district escort stepped up on stage and began the ceremony. I didn't remember his name, and frankly I didn't care. I did however imagine his head impaled on a stake, for a brief moment. The man began making a speech about the history of the Hunger Games, just like they did every year. I didn't listen to a bit of it. I was growing impatient. I couldn't bear to stand here for a moment longer surrounded by peacekeepers, and government spies. I glanced nervously at all of the cameras surrounding the town square. I could see one of them glaring directly at me like the cold dead eye of some horrible beast.

Half way through the speech I started to hear the screaming of Sion's ghost again. I was almost certain that everyone in the crowd could hear. They all looked forward as if they didn't hear anything, but I knew they could hear it. They were all just acting like they couldn't, like they always did. I began sweating even more.

Finally the district escort reached into a bowl and called out a name.

"Micheala Lenina", he said. Many people in the audience turned their head to face one girl, in the section of eighteen year old girls. Whoever Micheala was, she must have been famous. I wouldn't have known, as I didn't go anywhere other than my house or the mines. I really didn't care who she was. She was just another worm to be squished. She walked up on the stage, and after a moment of processing she held her head up proudly.

The district escort walked silently over to the giant glass bowl that was labeled boys. I knew this was my chance. I wanted to do it before some idiot kid's name was drawn and people would think I volunteered to save him. Before the district escort could put his hand into the bowl I spoke up.

"I volunteer as tribute!" I shouted.

Everyone in the crowd gasped and faced my way. I began walking up to the stage and looked at the girls shocked expression when she saw I would be joining her into the arena. As I got a better look at her I realized she was the same bitch I bumped into earlier today. I got up on the stage next to her. I was proud of myself. I had finally outfoxed the peacekeepers. They couldn't touch me if I was a tribute competing in the Hunger Games, and as a victor, I could stay far away from district twelve for the remainder of my life other than for official Hunger Games stuff like the victory tour. I had finally beaten them and I was elated.

"District twelve, here are your tributes", our district escort said. Micheala and I shook hands.

"what are the odds we would bump into each other twice today", Micheala said apprehensively.

"Yes", I said blankly, "…what are the odds."

* * *

><p>District: 6<p>

POV: Soren Hecate

Gender: Male

Age: 16

I stood in a big group of other sixteen year old boys waiting for the reaping to begin. Hunger Game season always got me really depressed, and I was feeling quite awful standing in the crowd of other boys and girls, waiting to see what kids would be sent to their death this year. I heard thunder rumble as I stood in the district center. _Great,_ I thought, _it's going to rain. _Sure enough rain began to fall from the dark dirty clouds above us. Despite the discomfort that the rain caused, we were all expected to stand in the rain for the duration of the reaping ceremony.

The overall gloom and the fact that I was at a reaping ceremony made me think back to when my brother was reaped. I was only eight years old, and as soon as I heard his name called I began to cry. My father held me close to him and my mother began to weep quietly. My brother of course was braver than any of us. He walked up on the stage proudly with a smile on his face so that no one would simply write him off. He probably knew he would lose, but nevertheless he tried his best to stay strong for us. In the justice building, when we went to visit him, he reassured us that everything would be ok. As the peacekeepers escorted us all out, he winked at me one last time and told me "Don't worry, little bro, It'll be A-Ok" Of course it wasn't A-Ok, he died in the final eight.

After my brother died, everything felt different. I felt different. I felt a stagnant sadness that stayed with me to this day. I have become excellent at hiding my depression and even distracting myself from it at times, but it's always there. I had gotten into magic because entertaining people made me happy when few other things did.

I thought back on the show I performed today to dispel some of the gloom. While I did perform the magic show to set everyone else at ease, I also did it to set myself at ease. I needed to do a show or I was going to be depressed all day, so I did. After the reaping I would distract myself by spending time with Lilina.

I glanced over in Lilina's direction. She noticed I had glanced at her, and smiled. I smiled and winked at her. I still wondered to myself what it was she wanted to tell me before we got separated into our age and gender groups. I guess I would find out after the reaping, provided none of us were reaped. I highly doubted that was going to happen however. The odds of two people I was close to being reaped were astronomical.

Finally our district escort stepped up onto the stage with an umbrella. We have had the same district escort for three years now. Her name was Maxil Cross. She had crazy bright red hair with black roots, and dressed in a very edgy fashion. She walked up on stage with an excited look on her face. She was someone who fancied herself a performer.

"Allllllright everyone whoooo's ready for the one-hundred- and- twenty- fourth Huuuunger Games!" Maxil threw up a fist in the air as she shouted.

The crowd was silent. Maxil cleared her throat sheepishly and looked at the ground for a moment.

"Um right", she said quietly, "Well I guess we will get started." She then began her speech about the history of the Hunger Games which she told with a very overdramatic voice. The rain continued to pour down as we listened to her talk. I really just wanted to hear the results of the reaping and move on with my life. I really did not want to be here.

Finally Maxil finished her speech and moved on to the drawing of the names.

"Alright, for the moment you've alllll been waiting foooor, It is time to find out which lovely lady, and which strapping young man will be competing in this year's brawl!" Her shouts were still met with silence. "Let's start with the girls."

The only thing going through my mind was the hope that Lilina's name would not be on the slip that Maxil washolding in her hand and dramtically prepping for reveal.

"Your female champion for this year, district six, iiiiiisssss", maxil gave herself a little drumroll on the table before reading the name, "Embry Chimer!"

I sighed with relief upon hearing that I wasn't going to have to watch another loved one get sent to their death this year. I felt a little bad, considering this girl whose name I had never heard before was likely going to die in the Games, but I still couldn't help but feel relieved that no one I knew would have to die.

The short girl with wavy chestnut brown hair walked up to the stage, soaking wet, with a smile on her face. She waved at all of the cameras on her way up and shook hands with the district escort. She even blew the cameras a kiss. She was smart. If she had any hope of surviving the Games she knew it was going to be through attracting sponsors and she was working it.

I glanced over at Lilina who still looked concerned. She was probably still worried that Levin or I could still be reaped. She noticed that I was looking at her and gave me a sheepish smile. I smiled back and gave her a thumbs up which she returned to me before we both turned to face the stage and await the next name to be called.

* * *

><p>District: 6<p>

POV: Embry Chimer

Gender: Female

Age: 15

Rain water ran down my face as I stood in the District square. By the time our district escort, Maxil, began her speech I was soaked to the bone. The one thing that really occupied my mind was the fact that Maxil had an umbrella and I didn't. I looked over at Katrin. She looked visibly angry. I gave her a small smile but she just rolled her eyes. I stifled a giggle at Katrin's expense. I didn't want to make her more upset by laughing at her so I kept it to myself. I have always prided myself in keeping tactful. There was a time and a place for everything, and the time and place that that something could hurt someone's feelings was not the right time or place.

Maxil spoke with an enthusiasm that no one else in the district center currently had. Then again she was the only dry person in the area. As she spoke the ground beneath my feet became soft with rainwater. Mud began to coat the sides of my shoes just as the rain water formed a slick second layer on my face. My hair became damp and heavy with moisture. I tried to keep myself from being nervous. I began tapping my foot in anticipation, which made small sloshing noised in the mud. Katrin glanced down at my feet. Evidently she had noticed the sloshing.

When Maxil had finished her speech she moved on to the reaping part of the ceremony. I barely listened to her dramatic introduction of what she was about to do. Instead I focused on the mud sloshing beneath my feet. That was when I heard the sound that made my heart stop.

"Embry Chimer!" Maxil shouted, loud enough for the world to hear. I immediately looked up from my tapping feet at the stage. I didn't move for a moment, I was too deep in shock. I looked over at Katrin who looked like she was going to throw up. After the shock settled in, I knew what I had to do. I took one moment to clear my mind of the storm of fear that was raging within it. I created a moment where it was just me and the stage, and nothing else in the world. I flashed a bright smile across my face and started walking confidently up to the stage, waving all the way. I was no longer a reaped fifteen year old girl who was terrified out of her mind. I became what I truly was, a performer.

When I got up onto the stage I shook hands with Maxil, which seemed to surprise her, and blew a kiss to the nearest camera. I knew the Capitol would eat that up and that was exactly what I wanted. I knew the dangers of being reaped for the Hunger Games, but I also knew what I needed to do if I was to stand a chance at winning.

After a moment, Maxil smiled pleasantly at the notion that at least one person was playing along with her. She then moved on to the next order of business.

"And now district six… Your male champion…for this year's Games…Will beeeeeeeee", Maxil skipped over to the bowl as she held out the word beeeeeee. "Sorennnnnn Hecaaaateeee!"

Everyone gasped upon hearing the young magician's name. I felt my smile waver. Soren was such a positive presence in the district. It was very tragic that someone as good as him, who put a smile on so many people's faces, was going to be sent into the Hunger Games where he would quite likely die.

I watched him as he made his trek up to the stage to stand next to me. He was smiling visibly at all of the cameras, just as I had. The capitol would be fooled by the fake smile painted on his face, but I wasn't. I understood how he felt, walking up towards the stage to seal his fate. I almost wanted to cry. I tried to clear my head of all the fear but I simply could not. This was real. I was going to be sent away from home to die a grisly death alongside Soren. When Soren arrived at my side on the stage he waved dramatically at the cameras. I decided to do the same. I mimicked his painted smile as I waved.

"Ladies and Gentlemen…Your tributes for this yeeeeeearsss Hungerrrrr Gaaaaames!" No one responded to Maxil's dramatic finishing line. "You may shake hands, tributes."

I reached for Soren's hand and he reached for mine. Instead of being met with Soren's hand however, my palm was met with a bouquet of flowers that shot out from Soren's sleeve. A genuine smile found its way onto my lips. I had seen him perform this trick before and I loved it. I could feel myself blushing a bit. I took the bouquet and curtsied for Soren. I removed on flower from the bouquet and put it in my hair behind my ear. I tossed the rest of the bouquet out into the crowd for someone to catch. I knew the Capitol would love that bit. I pushed a rai soaked lock of my hair out of my face and gave the cameras one last smile before Soren and I were escorted off of the stage. As we left the stage I thought back to when I had questioned the odds of ever meeting Soren, or getting reaped. My mind echoed those four fateful words. _What are the odds?_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Authors Note:<em>**

**_Hey everyone. This is my first actual chapter. I featured four tributes reapings. Im not going to write any more reapings because I feel like that would become rather redundant for you all to read. I will feature every tribute's perspective in at least two chapters before they all enter the blood bath so that all the wonderful tributes you all submitted to me can be featured. I was actually pretty impressed with the batch of tributes I received and I like them all but of course, 23 of them will have to be killed off and some of them will be killed of sooner than others. Bear in mind this in no way reflects on the quality of your tribute. I will arrange the story so that each character dies in a spot that I feel is most appropriate for the progression and quality of the story as a whole. With this in mind I will have no sponsorship system in place. I hope you enjoy the story, please read and review and feel free to PM me if you have any questions, if you want to talk about the story, or if you want to talk about anything at all. I will respond to all PMs and don't worry I love to chat =) Sorry this chapter took so long to update. I was really busy with classes. Most of the time I will try and get the chapters updated as quickly as possible. Thank you for reading =) _**


	4. Love and Hate

District: 1

POV: Orion Starks

Gender: Male

Age: 18

"48, 49, 50, 51, 52" I counted out load to myself as I did as many pushups as I could before my visitors arrived. My chest heaved as I breathed between each one. After a while of doing pushups I began to feel the sweet ache that exercise brought pectorals and triceps. By the time I hit sixty five I felt my bare chest become slick with sweat. My shirt on the other had remained dry, crumpled up in a bunch on the floor a little ways away from me. I hated working out with a shirt on. I always found the extra loose layer dangling off the body to be distracting.

I loved working out. That was the whole reason I got into Hunger Games training. Physical activity gave me an outlet to blow off steam, relax, or put my aggression into. When I got into Hunger Games training, I quickly decided that I loved it. I loved working out, learning how to use weapons, and learning how to fight. It made me feel strong in a world that made me feel powerless. Eventually the feeling of strength stopped being just a feeling and became a physical state of being. By this point I realized my potential and I put most of myself into my training. I trained as much as I could and I quickly ended up being top of my class for the training facility in my district. It felt good being special, and Hunger Games training made me feel that way. I gained a lot from Hunger Games training, except for the desire to volunteer. I had never originally intended to volunteer for the Games, but here I was, doing pushups in the justice building after just volunteering to compete.

By the time I reached seventy eight, the door to my room in the Justice building opened up. I immediately got up off the ground and grabbed my shirt. I wiped the sweat off of my face with it before putting it on. I turned around and saw a peacekeeper escorting my mother into the room. She limped slowly towards me, using her cane as a support.

Ever since I could remember my mother has needed her cane to walk. She has always had a difficult time walking. She was born with a lame leg and therefore always had a hard time walking. During her child hood, my mother had to watch as all of her friends got to run, play, and train for the Hunger Games, and do all of the things she was told she could never do. When she was thirteen years old she decided that enough was enough and she would not let herself be beaten by her disability. She began to train for the Hunger Games too. She put every fiber of her being into making herself Hunger Games material. Over time she learned to throw knives and hold her own in self-defense. One of her friends who ended up winning the Hunger Games said that my mother was her inspiration for training, volunteering, and eventually winning. My mother never intended to volunteer and she never did, but the fact that she proved that she could do what everyone said she couldn't was what mattered to her. Her story has always been an inspiration to me.

As soon as she reached me she wrapped me up in an embrace. We held each other in our arms for a moment before separating ourselves from each other.

"Sweetie, I'm fine with the fact that you volunteered but couldn't you have at least told me that that's what you were going to do ahead of time?"

"I'm sorry mom, it was… a spur of the moment decision", I said. I wasn't completely lying. The decision to volunteer was rather spur of the moment. I did have a reason for doing it though that I would never tell her, or anyone in my district for that matter.

"That's ok," my mother said gently, "I have seen you train and I am very confident that you have what it takes to win."

"Thanks mom," I responded, "You'll be fine here alone while I'm gone right?"

She smiled, "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. We have enough money saved up to pay for food and rent for a few weeks, and if I run out I'm sure some of my friends will be generous. Plus you are going to have enough to worry about in the arena."

I smiled and nodded my head. In all reality though I knew I would worry about her. She was always the reason I never intended on volunteering for the Hunger games. I never had qualms about the fact that I would have to kill the other tributes and I never was really afraid for my own life. I was afraid of what would happen to my mother if something happened to me.

My family has been poor since before I could even remember. My mother never could find work because no one wanted to hire a cripple. My father was a lazy alcoholic and therefore could never hold a job for very long, and that was when he was even around. There were many times when no one would see him for days before he would come home extremely drunk or hung-over. My mother could sometimes do odd jobs to make up for this but she could never make enough money to keep the family going. The responsibility of providing for my family fell on me. At the age of fourteen I started out doing odd jobs, like cleaning weapons at the training facility, or moving furniture into rich peoples' houses. Now that I was eighteen I was able to hold a full time job and make money to provide for my mother and me. If I were to die in the games my mother would have a very hard time providing for herself and she would have no one to take care of her when she got older. With her handicap she would need someone to watch over her in her old age. My deadbeat dad sure as hell wasn't going to do it so once again the responsibility went to me.

A peace keeper opened the door and stepped into the room.

"It's time to go now Mrs. Starks," He said with a cold clipped tone.

My mother gave me one last hug before she left.

"You're a sweet boy Orion and I love you. Be safe my son." After saying good bye my mother left the room with the peace keeper.

I thought about what she said about me being a sweet boy. She was dead wrong. I was a nice caring guy to her and my friend, Ezra. In front of everyone else I acted aggressive and harsh. Many people were intimidated by me and those who weren't I made a point to intimidate. Sweet boys don't get into fights in the rough side of district one. My neighborhood in and of itself was not where sweet boys were bred. When most people pictured district one, they pictured the mansions and the rich luxury business owners, and fine goods artisans that inhabited them. This could be considered the majority of the people in district one considering that was the district's assigned industry. There was however another side of the district that most people overlooked. The unofficial name of the area I lived in was called The Blemish. Most people called it that because they thought it was like a stain on the mostly beautiful district one. This was where all of the poor of my district lived. It was my home. There were a lot of rough characters in my neighborhood so I needed to look tough. I have acted tough for most of my life. I don't regret any of the things I have done but I can't accept it when my mom says I'm a nice guy.

I pulled off my shirt, dropped to the ground and started doing pushups again until the door opened once more. I switched to a sitting position and faced the door. I waved to my best friend, Ezra, as he walked through the door. I pulled my shirt back on as I stood up.

"Dude, what the fuck," Ezra said to me with a worried look on his face.

"Hey don't even start with me," I said, "you didn't want to go and you know it."

What most people in my district didn't know was that neither Ezra nor I wanted to participate in the Hunger Games. Even Ezra's parents expected him to volunteer. They often joked that we would both end up fighting to the death on the stage for the honor to participate. They couldn't have been more wrong. I couldn't volunteer because I had an obligation to my mother. Ezra on the other hand was deathly afraid of participating in the Games. After watching the Games on TV for years, he confided in me that he didn't want to die like that or kill other people. He was embarrassed of the fact that he was afraid to do it so he never told anyone but me. We both still did Hunger Games training but that was more to enjoy ourselves and blow off steam. Neither of us actually wanted to compete. Apparently we weren't the only ones. For some reason or another, our district had no boys outright volunteered at the reaping ceremony earlier today. Because of this they actually had to perform a reaping for the district one male tribute. Ezra was reaped. I knew how terrified he was to go into the Games. I knew that without the confidence, a level head, and a killer instinct he would never win the games. Even though IU had reservations about competing in the Games, I wasn't afraid of them. I figured I could win anyway so I stepped up and volunteered so that my best friend didn't have to go.

"You know you don't have to do this," Ezra said.

"I already did," I said with a small laugh, "and there's no going back now"

A look of guilt slid over Ezra's face like an old drape. "Look if you die out there I'll never forgive myself," he said.

I leaned up against the wall. "Heh, you do realize I can't lose even if I tried. I'm the best this district has to offer when it comes to fighting."

Ezra paused for a moment. "What about that hot blond chick from our district who volunteered? I've seen her train and she looks pretty tough," he said.

I laughed, "What? You mean little miss Mayor's daughter?" I continued to laugh, "Nah she's not going to be competition. Those rich kids don't have what it takes. They might have technique from training but I have that too along with some things they don't have."

"Like what?" Ezra said.

"The only thing rich kids know about fighting is what other people have told them about fighting. Guys like you and me though, we got experience. I've been fighting since before a lot these kids even knew they wanted to participate in the Games."

Ezra looked at me for a moment. "You really think that's going to be a difference maker?"

"Of course I do Ez. Trust me once these kids get into a real fight and see blood and broken bones for the first time, they'll choke."

Ezra looked unconvinced so I continued. "I'm going to win these games Ez, and if anyone else gets in my way I will cut them in half like they were apples."

As I said this the door opened and a peacekeeper walked in to escort Ezra out. I reached for Ezra's hand to shake it but instead he pulled me in for a hug.

"You're the best, you know that?" Ezra said as he hugged me. We let go of each other and he turned and followed the peacekeeper out the door. Once they were gone I took off my shirt. I crumpled it up and tossed it to the corner. Then I dropped to the floor and continued my pushups.

* * *

><p>District: 1<p>

POV: Kalissa Kerri

Gender: Female

Age: 18

"All I'm saying is that he's kind of hot," my friend, Chance, said emphatically. She held her hands up in a defensive gesture.

I rolled my eyes at her. "This is the Hunger Games, not speed dating," I said. My friend Tanya laughed.

"Leave it to Chance to try and fraternize with the enemy," Tanya said.

"I didn't mean it like that, I was just saying," Chance replied in a feeble attempt to defend herself.

Chance and Tanya were my best friends so it was natural that they would come and visit me after I volunteered for the Hunger Games. I was glad to have them with me. It would be a while before I could see them again. It was also nice to have a fun relaxed moment with my friends before the awkward, albeit, satisfying confrontation with my parents that was to come.

"So how many days do you think the Games will drag on before you can win them?" Tanya asked. I smirked.

"I don't really know but I'll try and make it fast don't worry," I responded.

"Good! That's what I like to hear," Tanya replied. She smiled, "Maybe when comeback we can throw a party for you worthy of a Hunger Games victor."

"I'll be looking forward to it," I replied with a smile.

"I dunno," Chance said with a serious look on her face. "That guy Orion looked like he could put up a fight. Did you see his muscles?"

Tanya glared at Chance with frustration. "Will you give it a rest with that guy?" Tanya said. "Jesus, you even remembered his name?"

Chance blushed as she looked down at her feet. I couldn't help but smile at Chance and Tanya's banter. I was really going to miss them when I left. Really though I knew it would be worth it when I came back. I felt quite a mix of emotions. I was excited and nervous. I also felt victorious, and not because I would be competing in the Games. My victory was over my parents.

Tanya interrupted my thoughts. "Don't worry, I'll keep our little traitor in line," she motioned her head in Chance's direction.

Chance's jaw dropped for a second as she gasped in offense. "I am not a traitor! I'm not rooting for Orion; I just think he's hot!" Tanya and I laughed at Chance as she said this. "You know Ill be rooting for you Kalissa, no matter how many hot guys are in the Games this year."

I couldn't help but smile. Chance always rooted for the tributes that she found most attractive. Tanya and I always teased her about it. I knew though that she would be rooting for me. Chance and Tanya have been my friends for longer than I can remember. They have been with me through everything I have gone through. They stood by me even as my situation with my parents affected me, and made me act difficult at times. I was kind of sad that the two people who had been with me through everything could not be with me while I fought in the arena. The sadness dissipated quickly though as I resolved to just enjoy what time I had with them.

Chance, Tanya, and I continued to talk and banter for a while until a peacekeeper entered the room.

"Alright girls, times up. You can see her on TV later," he said brusquely. I gave him a cold stare as he led my friends out.

"Asshole," I said under my breath as I heard the door shut.

I then smoothed my hair out and sat down on the bench in the back of the room. I stared at the door with a smug grin. I wanted my parents to see it as they entered the room.

I wiggled my toes with excitement. I had been waiting for this moment all day. Ever since the big fight I had with them last night, this moment was all I could think about.

My parents and were not on the best of terms. It did not start out this way though. I used to get along swimmingly with my parents. When I was a small child, we used to spend a lot of time together. They were the people I cared for most in the world. I remember my favorite times as a kid were when my parents used to read me bedtime stories every night before tucking me in to bed. My dad would always conclude this by singing me a song to put me to sleep. I was so sweet and naïve back then.

Eventually however things changed. My father decided one day that his deepest desire in the world was not to sing his daughter to sleep, but to be the Mayor of District One. Of course my mother was in support of the idea. After all, it would give her something new to brag about to her stupid pretentious friends. After he made his decision to run for mayor, everything became about his political career. They had no time for me anymore. In my father's absence I had to sing myself to sleep every night. I taught myself to read out of necessity because no one would read me bedtime stories. Eventually singing myself to sleep turned into crying myself to sleep, and the bedtime stories just stopped being important to me. It was sad and lonely in my house. The only time I ever got to spend time with my parents was when they had an event that I was needed for. Such as meeting campaign sponsors and attending dinner parties. During these events though, I could barely recognize my parents. They weren't the warm loving people that used to make me laugh as a child. They were stuffy and arrogant, and told jokes that I didn't understand. They made me meet tons of old people that I didn't know. I felt like an accessory of theirs, like I was a necklace, or a tiara.

Over time this began to change my demeanor. I stopped crying and started rebelling. I really just wanted them to look at me again. I became so angry with them I began to do all of the things that they forbade me to do, or that made them look bad. I acted coldly with them and their guests. I partied most nights and made sure everyone was aware. I blatantly disobeyed them, every time they told me to do something. The fire was fueled whenever they would respond. Almost all of our conversations were arguments and those that weren't were cold and filled only with curt responses. We became strangers to each other. I kept everything in my life a secret from them, and they essentially did the same to me. I hated them, and I'm pretty sure they hated me.

Last night we had a huge argument. When I was little my parents made me promise them that I would never volunteer for the Hunger Games. Of course as a child I agreed that I wouldn't. Even through everything that had gone on throughout our lives, this was a promise I always respected. I did attend Hunger Games training, but that was because all of my friends did it and it was the cool thing to do. I also liked the way it agitated my parents every time I told them I was on my way to hunger Games training. I really had no intention of ever volunteering though, and they knew that. This was the one line I would never cross. That is until last night. My parents and I got into a huge argument when they told me they wanted me home right after the reaping for a dinner party they would be hosting at our house. Apparently there were some very important muckedy mucks that were going to be there. Of course I had made plans to go to a party with my friends to celebrate our last reaping. My parents commanded me to forgo the party for their dinner. It quickly erupted into a shouting match. I was so angry that I crossed the one line I never thought I'd cross.

I shivered for a moment as I could still hear the echo of my voice reverberating off of the cold, polished marble walls of my house. In my mind I remembered the looks on my parents' faces when I told them that I would not be coming home for their party because I would be volunteering for the games. Not a single word had been exchanged between us since I said that.

I looked up at the clock and then back down at my feet. They would be here any minute. I knew in my heart that they would come. Despite their faults, deep down, they were still human. I knew that as parents they would feel worried for me and so they would come to say good bye. Then maybe they would finally appreciate me. I couldn't wait for them to come in and cry and tell me to win so that I could come back to them and attend more boring dinner parties with them. I laughed to myself at the though. I felt powerful. This was the first time I have ever had a full leg up on my parents and it felt good. It would feel better once they finally showed up.

The ticking of the clock marred the perfect silence of the room ever so slightly. It sounded so slight and fine, like ice cubes clinking lightly against a glass. I looked at the door. It remained still as a grave. I stood up and started to pace. I really just couldn't wait for them to come in to the room. The wait was agonizing. I replayed what I imagined the conversation would sound in my head. I replayed it twice more, expecting the door to open any minute. Yet still, my only companion in the room was the small ticking clock on the wall above the door.

I sat back down on the bench, and wondered what was taking them so long. Just then I heard a sound other than the clock. It was footsteps. I straitened my posture and wiped my sweaty palms against my skirt. I was ready. I began to smirk as I heard the doorknob rattle. The door opened with a creak. I stared past the peacekeeper standing in the doorway. My eyes searched for my parents but I couldn't catch any view of them.

"Time to go," The peacekeeper said coldly. My heart sank as my brain finally registered what this meant. They didn't show up. They didn't even care. My throat felt like I had swallowed broken glass. I fought back a tear as I stood up. I forced myself to hold my head up high, even though I felt lower than I had ever felt before.

* * *

><p>District: 2<p>

POV: Acanthus Stearns

Gender: Male

Age: 18

I smiled and stood up from my seat as my friend marc walked into the room of the justice building. As he walked into the room I offered him a handshake. Before he could accept my offer however he sneezed loudly into his palm. At the prospect of dirtying my hand with my friend's mucus, I quickly withdrew my hand.

"Sorry," Marc said sheepishly. I chuckled to myself

"It's ok," I said in response. Marc knew how I felt about germs. He knew a lot about me. He was after all my closest friend.

"Hey I really appreciate you coming, despite your feelings towards the Games," I said to him.

"It's no problem. You're my friend and I respect your decision," he said. "Plus I would never let you leave without saying goodbye."

I smiled. Marc and I have always had very different opinions when it came to the Hunger Games. Marc was very much against them. I however respected them as a tradition of our district and our country. The Games have been a part of our history for over a century. This year would make one hundred and twenty four years of Hunger Games. Much to Marc's dismay, I volunteered to participate this year because I knew that it was my duty to continue the volunteer tradition of district two. This year I would be part of a one hundred and twenty four year legacy, and I was proud of that.

"What do you think of your chances of winning?" Marc asked me.

I ran my hand through my hair before responding. "Well statistically the district that produces the largest amount of tributes is district two. Simple deduction would then have one look at my district partner and assess whether or not she'll be much of a threat. I've only seen her train a few times. She is good but lacks my level of training and experience, so I honestly don't believe she will be much of a threat. Of course there are plenty of unknown variables but I'd say my chances of winning are pretty high."

Marc looked a little bit more at ease after my explanation. Really everything I said was true. My chances were pretty high. I probably wouldn't have volunteered if they weren't. I like to know what I'm getting into before I get into it. For my decision to volunteer I made sure I did my homework. I've watched Hunger Games for years and I know Game statistics pretty well. I've also trained heavily for years for this. Now that I'm eighteen and trained up as much as I think is necessary, I was confident enough in my ability to volunteer.

Marc and I continued to chat for a bit before a peacekeeper came entered the room.

"Alright boys wrap it up," he said

"Will do sir," I responded politely. The peacekeeper smiled slightly at that. They like it when people are polite, and just do what they're supposed to.

"Well I better go," Marc said. I said goodbye as he followed the peacekeeper out the door.

I listened to the clock ticking for a minute before the door opened again. A peacekeeper escorted my parents into the room.

"Thank you Ray," my father said to the peacekeeper.

"No problem sir," the peacekeeper responded before leaving the room. My father is a retired peacekeeper. After he retired he got a job training peacekeepers. Currently he is the head trainer. He has always loved his job as a peacekeeper. If I didn't volunteer for the Games, my plan was to follow in his footsteps and become a peacekeeper just like him. This was fairly common for boys in district two.

My father approached me and shook my hand with a big smile on his face. "You know we're really proud of you son," he said.

"Thank you," I responded. I was really happy to hear my father say that. I have always looked up to my father a lot.

He scratched his graying temples. "Your mother and I know that you'll win. You're smart, you've trained a lot, and you got your head on straight." My mother nodded in the background as he spoke. My mother never really said much. The truth is I always thought she was kind of bitter. I always got along with my father better.

"I'm also pretty confident that I'll win," I told my father smiling.

"Just remember what you've learned, and come back safe to us son," My father said.

"Yes sir," I responded.

"Good," my father said back to me. "Now I got some business back at the training center and your mother has to nanny for the Bowhardt children so we better get going."

"Thanks for visiting me," I said to them.

"Good luck son," my dad said as he and my mother left the room. My mother simply waved quietly at me as she left.

I sat back down on the bench as I waited for my last visitor, the person I most wanted to see before I left to compete in the games.

I pulled open my jacket and pulled out the rose I had bought just for the occasion. I hoped that she would like it. I caressed it slightly looking for any signs of damage it might have received between the time I bought it and now. Fortunately there was no damage. I stared at it for a while as I waited patiently for the door to open. I wondered what was taking so long.

Finally the door opened slightly and my girlfriend Theodora poked her head inside shyly.

"Hey," she said as she stepped further into the room. My stomach did a leap when I saw her face. I stood up and walked over to her with the rose in my hand. She blushed as I handed it to her.

"Thank you it's beautiful," she said with a smile. I smiled back at her. I was very pleased that she liked it. She looked up at me with concern. "Are you nervous?" she asked me.

I brushed a brown lock of hair out of her face and behind her ear. "No I'm not. Don't worry I will win and I will come back to you. I'll just be gone for a week or so, but it won't be that long before we see each other again." She nodded solemnly.

"Promise?" she asked me.

I smiled and took her hand in mine. "I promise." I leaned in and gave her a kiss. We held each other kissing for a few moments. I ran my hands through her soft hair. It felt so good to have her with me.

Of all the people I would be leaving I was going to miss Theodora the most. She was everything to me. There were a lot of things I loved about her. She was beautiful, sweet, and dependable. I could always count on her being there for me no matter what. She was different than most other girls in my district. She wasn't wild or free spirited, and I liked that about her. I also loved the fact that she was polite. Courtesy is something that a lot of people my age don't practice, and it annoys me to no end. Theodora however, is the most courteous person I have ever met, and I respect that about her.

A month ago I decided that wanted to marry Theodora. I used most of the money I had saved up to buy a gold ring without a stone. After the conclusion of the Hunger Games, when I emerged the victor, I planned to make the first thing that I spent my winnings on to be a stone to have fitted on to the ring. I would get the finest stone that the Capitol had to offer, for the finest girl in all of Panem. As soon as I arrived back in my district I would present her the ring and propose to her.

We broke our embrace. Theodora smiled. "I'll watch you on TV every day waiting for you to come back," she said.

I chuckled. "Maybe during the interview I'll give you a shout out. I'll let all of Panem know how much I love you."

She blushed and giggled as I said this. "I'll be looking forward to it," she said with a smile.

Just then, the same peacekeeper from before entered the room and told us that the time block for visitors was over.

I looked into Theodora's eyes and told her that I loved her. We kissed one more time before she followed the peacekeeper out the door.

* * *

><p>District: 2<p>

POV: Kayleen Epsy

Gender: Female

Age: 18

I listened to the light crisp ticking of the clock that hung just above the door to the room that they were housing me in. I started pacing around the room as the beating of my heart constantly reminded me how nervous I was. _Hopefully he won't care enough to visit me, _I thought to myself. I knew in my heart that that wasn't true.

My heart practically jumped out of my chest as I heard the door opening. I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw my two friends Ashten and Maddison. Ashten looked pretty nonchalant as she walked into the room. Maddison on the other hand had a confused look on her face. Ashten knew I would be volunteering. She was my best friend who I told everything to. We were close to the point where we might as well have been sisters, if not for the fact that we weren't blood related. Naturally she was the only person I told that I was volunteering. She was also the person I told about all my problems with my forced fiancée, Julian. Ashten knew that Julien was the reason I volunteered for the Games in the first place. After this morning when my parents told me I was going to be forced to marry him I knew I had to do something to get away from him. I decided then that I would volunteer to compete in the Hunger games in order to escape my fate.

I looked again at Maddison's confused face. I was close to Maddison but not as close I was to Ashten. Maddison knew that my parents had forced me to hang out with Julien for practically my whole life. She also that I didn't like Julien. She didn't know, however, about all of the times that Julien tried to seduce me or feel me up without permission. That I wasn't comfortable talking about with anyone but Ashten. Maddison wasn't aware that I was going to volunteer to compete in the Games. As I examined the distress she had on her face I felt bad for her. Not that it was uncommon for girls in district two to volunteer. It's actually quite the opposite case. I was very lucky to have spoken up before others did. What was surprising to her was that I had volunteered in a spur of the moment decision and without the amount of training most volunteers from my district had. I had trained a little bit as was fairly customary for kids in my district, but I had never really gotten into it and I hadn't taken training very seriously or devoted much time to it. I was trained enough to consider myself relatively athletic, and decent in archery. I was not, however, at the level that my district partner most likely was at. The blond boy who volunteered after me was a regular at the training center.

"Ok wait, I'm really confused right now," Maddison said. "I didn't know you were planning on volunteering."

"Yeah I guess you could say it was kind of spur of the moment," I replied.

"And is there a reason why you just suddenly decided to volunteer. I paused for a moment. Normally I wouldn't really want to tell her. It would've been a lot of information for her to take in in one sitting and I didn't really like talking about it. I supposed though that she had a right to know.

"There is, and I really don't want to talk about it right now, but Ashten can fill you in after you guys leave," I said.

Ashten's eyes widened a bit. "All of it?" she asked. I nodded my head.

"All of it," I said. Maddison continued to look confused but she seemed a little bit more satisfied now that she knew that she was at least going to be filled in.

"So, you nervous?" Ashten asked me.

"No," I said flatly. Ashten looked at me with understanding. She knew I didn't care if I died. The only thing that mattered to me at this moment was getting away from Julien for good. If volunteering to fight in the Hunger Games was the only way for that to happen then so be it. In my heart I knew I was ok with dying, just so I wouldn't be trapped sharing a life with him. On the off chance that I were to win the Games I would've just blamed not marrying Julien on the post-traumatic stress from fighting in a twenty four person death match. I could then move to the Capitol and start a new life.

"Well you look it," said Maddison.

"I'm not nervous for the Games," I said, "I'm nervous for something else."

"Julien?" Maddison asked. I looked at her with a face that clearly showed distress.

"I really don't want him to come visit me," I said.

"I know you don't like him, and I know he's weird and annoying but It can't be that bad. Think of it as just a friend of your parents wishing you luck," Maddison said in clear attempt to console me. Ashten and I just looked at each other. We both could tell what the other was thinking. _If only she knew_, I thought to myself.

"Well any way, changing the subject, You will win this," Ashten said. I looked back at her. "You're smart, good with a bow, and you're a fighter. You never give up even when things seem bleakest. I know that sounds like something a mom would say just for the sake of saying it, but it's true. I really think you can win this."

I gave Ashten a hug. "Please win so you can come back to us. I want to see my best friend again," Ashen said into my shoulder.

"I'll try my best," I said.

Just then a peacekeeper opened the door and told us that our time was up. He escorted Maddison and Ashten out of the room. After they left I resumed the nervous pacing that I had been engaging in before my visitors interrupted it. My palms started to sweat as I continued to wait and hope that Julien wouldn't show up. After a few minutes the door opened once again. My parents, and my little brother, Riley, stepped into my room. They all had surprised and concerned looks on their faces. My mother spoke up.

"Sweetie, you never told us you were going to be volunteering. Not that it's a problem but still I wish you had told us."

"I'm sorry mom, It was kind of spur of the moment," I said.

"Well ok," my mother said, "Just come home safe, please."

"I will don't worry," I said.

"We have faith that you can win, after all you have trained a bit, and you are pretty good with a bow," My father chimed in.

"Thanks dad," I responded.

Just then my parents looked at each other and smiled. I suddenly felt very uncomfortable. I recognized that look they gave each other. They looked back at me.

"Sweetie, we have a very special surprise for you," my mother said cheerfully.

"Someone very special wants to come see you off," my father said in the same tone.

"Oh it's so romantic isn't it," my mother said.

"Bye sweetie, good luck," they said together as they left the room. As they left, my brother looked back at me with a look of sad understanding. He knew about Julien, and how much of a creep he was. He found out one time when he was eavesdropping on us and distinctly heard Julien try and seduce me.

I felt the blood drain from my face. I knew what was coming next. Just then the door opened. The tall lanky boy with a blond shock of hair on his head walked into the room.

"Hey babe," he said through crooked teeth. He gave a wicked smile. He knew that I now knew what his parents and my parents were planning for the both of us. I began to feel nauseous. I did not want him here. He walked closer to me. "So I guess it's appropriate that I'm the last person you get to see in your district before you go fight in the games," he said.

"Yeah I guess," I said under my breath. He walked closer to me.

"You know at first I was kind of concerned when I heard you were volunteering, but then I realized how I cool I would look to have a victor for a wife, and a hot one at that." His eyes crawled up and down my body as he spoke. I had to fight the urge to shiver in disgust. I couldn't even bear to conceptualize the thought that my last memory of my district before I went off to fight in the Games would be Julien.

Julien walked even closer to me. I could now smell his breath. "So how long do they give us in here? Oh well it should be long enough for a good bye kiss." He forced his lips onto mine. I squealed in disgust and shoved him off of me. As soon as I separated him from me I drew my arm back and punched him in the face with all the force I could muster. As my fist made contact with his face, his head lashed backwards. I felt his nose crunch under my knuckles. He stumbled back a few steps clutching his face. When he drew his hand away, I saw a stream of blood ooze out from his nostrils.

"You little bitch!" he snarled, "You'll pay for this when you get back! You will be my wife, and you're going to let me enjoy it whether you like it or not!" He stormed out the door.

"If I get back," I said flatly as the door closed. I stretched the fingers on the hand I used to punch Julien. Despite the pain in my knuckles, I felt better than I had in a long time.

**Authors note: Hey everyone! hope you liked this chapter. I took this as an opportunity to introduce most of my careers. Tell me what you thought of them. Any way sorry this update took a long time. Ive actually been really busy with school work lately. Ill try and update faster next time but it does look like its going to be another busy week. Any way, hope you enjoyed reading, and Ill see you next update =)**


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